Improvement in car-couplings



H. C. HUNT,

Car-Coupling.

Patent ed Aug. 10, 2875.

N PETERS. PHOTO-umcGiAPMER, WkSHlNGTDfL u C.

"UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

HENRY HUNT, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 166,463., dated August10, 1875; application filed February 1, 1875.

To all whom it may concern: 4?

Be it known that I, HENRY G. HUNT, of Newark, in the county of Essex andState of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements inOar-Couplings, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to that class of couplings for railroad and othercars as are automatic in their operation.

The chief novelty of my invention consists in a spring-clutch and atransverse sliding plate, acting in conjunction with each other torender the ordinary link and pin self-actin g.

Figure l is a front elevation with the link removed. Fig. 2 is a planview with the top plate and a portion of the buffer removed. Fig. 3 is aside view; Fig. 4, a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 5 thesliding plate and chain by which it is actuated.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates thebetter to understand and construct the same, I will describe it morefully.

In Fig. 1, B is the buffer, to be made of cast or wrought iron, and isbell-shaped or flaring, the better to insure the entrance of the linkwhen the cars in their approach to each other vary in height orotherwise. E and E are two iron bars, which are riveted to the buffer B,as shown at l in Fig. 4, and extend back to the point where they connectwith the platform or body of the car 0. P is a pin of wrought-iron, witha hole through its upper end, and is connected with the lever or handleh, which extends out to the side or other convenient point on the car,so that the pin P may be raised, and so disconnect the cars without evergoing between them. The said lever h is connected to the platform or carby means of two staples, the shorter of which constitutes the fulcrumfor the lever, and the longer a check to limit the movement of the pinto prevent raising it out of its guide 9, Figs. 3 and 4. J and J arejaws of wrought or cast metal, provided with longitudinal V- shapedgrooves, to receive and hold the link L in a horizontal position whilethe cars approach each other for the purpose of coupling, as shown inFig. 4, the said jaws being forced together for that purpose by means ofsprings 3, (shown in Fig. 2,) to which springs the said jaws are securedby rivets r, Fig. 3. The transverse sliding plate is indicated by dottedlines, and c is the chain by which it is actuated. The link L beingremoved, the jaws are forced together, and the point of the pin P may beseen standing on the top of thejawsj and j, immediately over the jointbetween them, so that when the link enters and separates the jaws thereis nothing to prevent the pini'rom dropping through the link, and thusthe coupling is accomplished without the presence of any person.

In Fig. 2, B is the buffer, with a portion of it, together with the topplate E, removed, exposing to view the sliding plate P, and itsconnection with the jaws j and j. In the top of the said jaws there is arecess deep enough to allow the plate P to have a free movement. Therecess in the top of the jaws being deeper than the plate P is thick, itis impossible to bind it. In the top edge of the spring .9 there is alsoa recess or notch corresponding to the one in the top of the jaws,though not as wide, so that the plate P (in order to allow the ends toproject beyond the springs and buffer on either side) is reduced inwidth, leaving a shoulder, a, at either end, the two shoulders n beingjust far enough apart to allow the jaws j and j to come together whenthe springs 8 come in contact with the said shoulders n. In the frontedge of the plate P there is an opening (as shown at 0, Fig. 5) largeenough to allow the pin P to pass through the said plate, and at eitherend of the plate, and outside of the springs, there is a hole for thepurpose of attaching the chain c, the opposite end of which is attachedto the car or platform, as shown at as, Fig. 1.

The tendency of the chain is to draw the plate P out of the coupling;but when the link L is in place, and the pin P is dropped, as at Fig. 2,the point t is held in contact with the pin P, and is thus preventedfrom going any farther by the interposition of the said pin; but whenthe pin P is raised to its utmost limit by the hand upon the lever h,the

sliding plate P is then drawn underneath the pin, as shown in Fig. 4,until the shoulder it comes in contact with the spring 8, and thussustains the pin, and prevents it from. dropping back into the linkagain, so long as the jaws j and j have approached each other so near asto prevent the pin from dropping between them, and thus the pin issustained by the jaws j and j immediately over the joint between them,while the cars are separated, as in Fig. 1; and so it will be seen thatwhen the cars separate the coupling adjusts itself ready for theapproach of another car.

B represents the block of wood to which the plates or bars E and E arebolted, top and bottom, as in Fig. 4, the said block reaching forwardfar enough to form a check or abutment for the link L, and thus preventthe link from entering either draw-head so far as not to reach the pinin the opposite or approachin g one. The springs s are also bolted tothe block B, as shown at b, Fig. 2. The springs s are simply fiat platesof steel of sufficient strength to sustain the link L in a horizontalposition when left free to their own action, the clutch grasping thelink between its jaws and holding it out very much as a man would graspit in his two hands and hold it at arms length.

In Fig. 3, Bis the buffer, with a raised projection, 9, which serves asa guide for the pin P,

to retain it in a perpendicular position, and may be of any particularform that will accomplish the purpose. P is the pin. E. and E are edgeviews of the top and bottom plates s, the spring, showing at r therecess or notch through which the plate P protrudes. lis the rivet bywhich the jaw j is secured to the spring 8, and the bolts which securethe plates E and E to the wood B are indicated by dotted lines.

In Fig. 4, B is the bufl'er, with the pin-guide g, plates E and E, blockB, link L, jaw j, cross-section'of the lever h, spring 3, rivets l, andplate P. It will be seen that the link L is clear in against the blockB, but the pin is raised and stands upon the plate P, supposing theother end of the link to be coupled to another car. This oneis nowuncoupled and ready for the cars to separate, the operator having raisedthe pin by bearing on the lever h, and thus it will remain until thelink is removed by separation of the cars, when it will assume theposition shown in Fig. 1, and is then ready for coupling. I

In Fig. 5, the plate P is shown in its connection with the chain c, andgiving a clearer view of its shape, each end being provided with a hole,so that it may be operated from either side of the car that may provemost convenient, but can only have one chain at a time. 0 is the openingfor the pin. The advantages of my invention are obvious, and the object,first of all, is to save life, as

in its use no one ever has to go between the cars for any purpose, itbeing self-adjustinga point which I believe has not hitherto beenattained in the absence of the operator.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-- 1. In a couplingforcars, the spring-clutch composed of the jaws j and j and springs s s,

in combination with the transverse sliding.

plate P, so as to be self-adjusting by the action of the springs s swhen the link is removed, substantially as shown and described.

2. The transverse sliding plate P, in combination with the chain c, (orits equivalent,) and the springclutch composed of the springs s and thejaws j and j, substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

HENRY O. HUNT. Witnesses:

HENRY J. PIERsoN, HoRAoE HARRIS.

